Foundation Information

Garage Foundation Crack Repair

The portion of your home foundation and often the most costly to repair is your attached garage.

We tend to concentrate on the foundation that surrounds our basement area, and rightly so. Springtime, with its melting snow and rainy days, raises the risks of basement leaks through foundation cracks, clogged window, well drains or overburdened weeping tile. These problems must be addressed to avoid mould and water damage. Now is the time to walk around the perimeter of your foundation, noting potential problem areas.

Including the Garage Area, Here Is What to Look For:
Garage foundation cracks visible between the ground and the siding, brick or stone. (often close to the front of the garage)
Cracks in mortar joints (brick or stone)
Caulking gaps between the garage door frame and the siding, brick or stone.
Eavestrough downspouts evacuating water next to the foundation (an area often depressed due to water compaction)
Gaps between the garage floor and door frame.
Diagonal cracks in the garage floor
Long-Term Effects:
Cracks and caulking gaps continue to enlarge due to frost action, causing structural damage and costly repairs. Unlike the basement area foundation, garages are unheated, with no weeping tile around the perimeter and more susceptible to frost heave. Clay soil is particularly problematic, as it expands and contracts depending on moisture content. The Ottawa area has a lot of Leda clay.

The picture shows the extent of the project when years of freeze/thaw action have occurred. It is vital and far less costly to repair if caught early. Sometimes, it is as simple as relocating downspouts to direct the water away from the foundation.

Also, the ground beneath the asphalt adjacent to the garage may have settled, leaving the water to pool next to the foundation. The remedy is an asphalt patch (ramp) to re-establish a positive slope away from the foundation. Minor garage foundation cracks can then be repaired by injection at a lesser cost.

For all your basement foundation repairs, foundation cracks repairs or any other concrete repair in Ottawa, call Steve at Ardel Concrete Services 613-761-8919 for a free evaluation.

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Wet Basement can be Accentuated by Blocked Downspouts

The severity of a wet basement due to blocked downspouts can be reduced. Anyone who has purchased a home and used the services of a home inspector is familiar with the statement “positive drainage away from the house.” This applies in both winter and summer, but especially in winter.

In the summer, we enjoy our entire property. We use our backyards, cut the grass and rake the leaves. We can see the effect of detached downspouts and negative drainage. Water will pool in low areas around your foundation. This pooling of water will enter your basement through cracks and other openings.

In most cases, winter keeps us unaware of potential problems. Often we don’t see three sides of our home until the spring. The snow and ice create a moat effect. This allows the water to remain next to the foundation. Any opening in the foundation will create a path of less resistance and a wet basement.

90% of the homes we visit in the winter have frozen and blocked downspouts. Understandably, there has to be an opening for water to enter your basement, however, reducing the amount of water through creative downspout management might just save you from a more costly outcome.

Contrary to popular belief, eavestroughs do not cause ice dams. However, they can aggravate the situation if the water cannot exit a frozen downspout. Downspout extensions are extremely important when they are located at garage door corners. Water pooling at those locations is often responsible for foundation lifting as a result of adfreeze.

The ideal time to manage your downspouts adjustment is after all the leaves have fallen. The leaves and debris in the gutters should then be removed, and the downspouts managed before the snow arrives. This is not to say that they can’t be down in the winter, it is just more practical as well as less cold in the fall. Most downspouts end too close to the ground (see picture). This does not allow for a longer extension to drain the water further away from the foundation. Furthermore, placing the elbow higher allows you to support the extension above the snow cover in the winter.

If you wish advice on any of the above or need concrete repair in Ottawa contact us for a free consultation, call Ardel Concrete Services at 613 761-8919.

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Basement Leak Repairs are all About the Point(s) of Entry

Basement leak repairs are all about the point(s) of entry. It may mean opening up the drywall in the basement. This time of year in Ottawa, Ardel Concrete Services receives numerous calls for wet basements. A significant number is related to ice damming.

Gravity has a way of bringing melting ice to the lowest point of the structure. It is on the basement floor. The first thought is to check the outside for a foundation crack. This is generally the cause. Most basement cracks occur at windows. This is because the concrete is more susceptible to shrinkage and settlement cracks at that location(less concrete).

Blocked window well drains and weeping tile are also common problems. When ice damming is suspected, we advise that a section of drywall be removed. If the basement leak is at the sill plate above the foundation, basement waterproofing will not solve the problem. You need a roofing company. It is far less costly to remove a small area of drywall to confirm the point of entry than to move forward with an uncertain diagnosis.

We Suggest the Following Tips That May Save You Time and Money.

Check for any ice build-up on the roof and eavestrough (if any).
Eliminate other sources such as window well drainage, cracks visible above grade etc.
Has it happened before and was it with similar weather conditions.
Finally, you can’t beat a water test (not always possible this time of the year).
Most concrete contractors in Ottawa offer a free consultation but will charge to further investigate (drywall, water test).
We are a call away and would be happy to assist.

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Basement Leaks in Winter?

I have heard many times, clients say with astonishment, “it never leaks in the summer, you would think when the ground is frozen in the winter, it wouldn’t cause basement leaks”. Let me explain why this happens.

The ground around the house freezes and the frost goes deeper as you move further away from the house. You may notice, though, that the snow shrinks away from the foundation. This is due primarily to the heat loss from the basement.

In fact, right adjacent to the foundation, the ground has little or no frost penetration. When the temperature rises and melting occurs, the ground next to the foundation accepts the water. Water will take the path of least resistance. As it percolates downward towards your weeping tile, foundation cracks offer the path of least resistance and consequently the water leaks in your basement. The problem is often accentuated by the eavestrough downspouts dropping water right next to the foundation. Held in by the snow and ice, the water flows along the length of the wall.

In contrast, summer allows the water to flow away from the foundation and be absorbed into the frost-free ground. We suggest always extending your downspouts away from your foundation and periodically checking to see if they are blocked, especially before and during a thaw. This may not stop the basement leaks, but it will minimize the amount and clean up while you contact a reputable concrete contractor to fix the foundation crack. The Better Business Bureau is always a good place to start.

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Foundation Cracks due to Frost Quakes

Last winter in Ottawa, many of us heard the term frost quake for the first time. Foundation cracks can occur due to this phenomenon. The cause is water draining into the ground, expanding as it freezes. This puts stress on its surroundings, including foundations.

Early season snowfall, before prolonged low temperatures, reduces the risk. Snow is a great insulator. The more snow, the less frost penetrates the ground. We, as Ottawa concrete contractors, perform foundation repair and crack injection all winter long. The fact is that snow insulation and heat lost through the basement walls, allows us to do so efficiently.

You would need a jackhammer to dig down 5 feet in an open area without snow coverage (frost line). Block foundation walls are particularly vulnerable to frost action. Lateral pressure can push on the block wall. This can cause horizontal foundation cracks that run the length of the wall.

This effect is more pronounced on walls bordered by asphalt driveways. Snow is removed (driveway) eliminating the insulating benefit. These foundation cracks can have a profound effect on the structural integrity of the house. The costs to repair these situations can rise exponentially if left untreated. Interior repairs with steel or carbon fibre reinforcement can be used.

This is often done in conjunction with exterior excavation. The material is hauled away and replaced with free-draining stone aggregate after repairs and waterproofing. This is a job for a concrete repair contractor.

Tips to Help Reduce Costly Horizontal Foundation Cracks

Check the wall on the inside to see it is uncovered a foot or so below the outside ground level (horizontal crack).
Check on the outside for inward bowing.
Call a foundation crack specialist for advice and/or estimate.
Most driveways are wide enough to leave or even bank snow (insulator).
This winter has been very good for us so far. Temperatures are much higher on average compared to last year. Things change, be prepared.

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Winter Foundation Problems!

Garage foundation cracks are a result of the freeze/thaw cycles we experience in Ottawa. Unlike the basement foundation where heat loss minimizes the effects of adfreeeze, the unheated, no basement garage foundation is often greatly affected by ground frost penetration.

Three other components of the perfect storm, so to speak, are the backfill soil, the non-existence of the weeping tile around the garage, and the typical location of the downspouts of the eavestrough at the front corners of the garage.

Here’s the scenario: the temperature rises above freezing, the snow changes to rain, the water from the eavestrough saturates the ground due to poorly draining soil (clay) and no weeping tile, the temperature drops to below freezing and adfreeze occurs causing the foundation to crack. Water can then enter the foundation crack, freeze and widen the crack. The longer the problem exists, the greater the damage and costs to repair.

Here Are Some Helpful Tips to Avoid Foundation Cracks